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Questions from a noob on digital streaming

Ok, I am a noob.... I apologize here in the beginning.

I have been a vinyl guy since forever....

I have been considering a change to digital for several months and finally started to make the transition. I just sold my turntable so there is no going back, and believe me the decision was brutal to make. But I am happy with my new path....but still a bit anxious.

I am currently using a Cambridge magic plus through a tube Pre and tube mono blocks. I am planning on getting the direct stream Jr. and this is where my questions start.


I have been using Audirvana to play Tidal with my current Cambridge Dac...

I see that DS Jr. has installed ability to play Tidal, and use Roon.....

Does this mean I can play Tidal without using Roon or other player with the DS Jr. and MConnect Controller?

What are the pros and cons of this if true, compared to using Audirvana or Roon or Jriver?

Can I use Audirvana to play tidal through the DS Jr. ?

What are the pros and cons of this vs Tidal direct through the DS Jr.  or roon  or Jriver  etc.?

What I think I understand is...Tidal is a streaming service (check), audirvana and roon are players used to play the stream and send to the Dac (check)????? But the DS Jr is a streamer ????? Why is one better than another? And which should I use?

A bit confused, and I have been trying to do my own research, Im just not quite getting what is what and why one may be better than another.



I am trying to sell a quicksilver pre-amp to complete my purchase of the DS Jr.....It's on audiongon YOU SHOULD BUY IT !!:-)

Also, since I am selling the tube pre and using the Jr as a pre.....will the power tube amps smooth out the digital sound????

OR  should I get the Gain Cell, which I could today, and keep the Tube pre???? Seems a waste to have a tube pre with no turntable and switching strictly to streaming.

I HATE confusion....

Thank you,

TD


128x128tonydennison
willemj
1,036 posts
 
Flac is a completely bitperfect compression algorithm without any sonic signature. You can compress and decompress as many times as you want, and the files will still be identical, and identical to the original CD.
If player software has a sonic signature this can only be because it degrades the signal. Most software fortunately does not do this, as you can ascertain if you have the analytical software to inspect the data.
The only component in this part of the chain that has a (very small) sonic signature is the DAC.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

The FLAC files might be identical when unpacked to WAV, but the players all change the SQ when unpacking FLAC on-the-fly.  I have tried it with Amarra, Foobar, Kinsky, Kazoo and Twonky.  I have even demonstrated this at RMAF and other shows.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@tonydennison  Congratulations on your choice. Keep us posted!

@audioengr  Thanks.
tonydennison's avatar
tonydennison OP
382 posts
 
Hello guys, 3- Questions :-)

Q-1
As you know, I am getting a DS Jr. and am wondering if I need to run the power amps while breaking in the DS Jr or if I can feed the DS Jr with a Bluray loop and the power amps off????

The power amps are tube and I dont want to leave them on unattended.

Q-2
Another question....My sub is 40 ft away, at the moment I have 40 ft well insulated rca's going to my sub that I used with my Tube Pre. With the DS jr, I have to use the RCA outs to my amps which do not have XLR....Am I better off getting XLR-RCA adapters (or will they sound like poop?) or running solid core speaker cable from the tube amps 40 ft away to the sub?

I imagine you will say speaker wire....

Q-3
Finally, I purchased an AC conditioner from PS Audio, but as I said, the sub is 40 ft away....would I get any benefit running an industrial extension from the conditioner to the sub power cord, or should I just plug the sub direct in to the wall?

Thanks

TD

thelid
15 posts
 
tomcy6

Nice to see some love for the Node2. I just picked up a secondhand one  and it should be here tomorrow. Like the OP I'm dipping my toe into streaming for the first time but unlike the OP I'm hanging onto my vinyl and the stuff that makes it happen. Analogue is the go to here.

Tidal,Roon. Do you need these to play the music you have on your HDD's and in my case my PC. I've a ton of FLAC's but I just use VLC at the moment and I have Shazam&Spotify but I have the cheapskates versions which mean ads.
Internet radio is accessed easily with a Node 2 so there's another source accounted for and it's mostly free.(Radio Paradise for instance)

As the Node2 is an amp and a DAC, you do't need to hook it up to any part of your existing system do you?(apart from speakers or wireless actives)

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